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Friday, September 23, 2016

IDF official: Hamas deterred but is gearing up for another conflict - Israel Hayom Staff

by Israel Hayom Staff

GOC Southern Command Maj. Gen. Eyal Zamir hails two years since Operation Protective Edge in Gaza as quietest in decades • The IDF will "act swiftly and with the considerable might at our disposal" if another round of fighting unfolds, he warns Hamas.

GOC Southern Command Maj.
Gen. Eyal Zamir

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Photo credit: Haim Hornstein

GOC Southern Command Maj. Gen. Eyal Zamir on
Wednesday addressed the security situation in his sector, hailing the
two years since Operation Protective Edge in the Gaza Strip as the
quietest in decades, while warning that Hamas was preparing for the next
round of fighting.

Zamir spoke at a Kibbutz Movement gathering to
mark the 70th anniversary of the establishment of 11 Negev communities,
which at the time greatly expanded the size of the area under Jewish
control during the British Mandate and greatly aided the Jewish
population's ability to hold on to the Negev Desert during the 1948 War
of Independence.

Discussing some of the security challenges
facing Southern Command, Zamir told the audience: "Over the past decade,
since the eviction of the Gush Katif communities and the IDF's
withdrawal from the Gaza Strip, we have embarked on three operations [in
Gaza] against the terrorist organizations there, chief among them
Hamas.

"Relatively speaking, the two years since the
end of Operation Protective Edge have been the quietest in recent
decades. This period is being used to strengthen the Negev communities
and to absorb new families [to the area].

"Hamas sustained a severe blow during a
restrained Operation Protective Edge, but to our regret, instead of
caring for the civilian population in Gaza it has used this period to
renew its [military] strength and get ready for another conflict."

Zamir described Hamas as "an enemy with a
radical Islamist ideology that rejects Israel's right to exist," and
delivered a stern warning: "The IDF and Southern Command will not allow
the terrorist organizations in Gaza, Hamas in particular, to harm Israel
and its citizens. We will respond to every such attempt with the
appropriate force and in accordance with the situational assessment. We
have no intention of initiating [an operation], and as long as the quiet
is maintained -- both sides of the border will remain stable."

According to Zamir, "Alongside the desire and
hope of extending this period of calm, we will continue to provide a
response to the potential threats above ground and below it. Many
[military units and civilian organizations] are working together around
the Gaza Strip to provide security to the communities. In the event that
another round of fighting unfolds, we will act swiftly and with the
considerable force at our disposal.

"We will bolster our multi-layered defenses
and enhance our comprehensive offensive effort, combining massive fire
power and maneuverability, to ensure we meet the objectives we are
given. Responsibility for the harsh results that will befall Gaza will
be placed on Hamas. The integration between the military leadership and
local civilian leadership is the formula for the entire nation's
resolve. The key to coping with extreme situations is working together,"
Zamir said.

Reminiscing on the history of the country's
south, Zamir called the 11 points in the Negev plan "an operation of the
utmost importance that determined Israel's borders in the Negev. The
operation comprised these following values and principles: military
subterfuge, determination and adherence to the mission, personal
sacrifice, cooperation between different organizations and movements for
the sake of establishing a state for the Jewish people in the land of
Israel. These are values and principles that the IDF still uses."

Zamir added: "Under the partition plan, the
northern Negev would not have been part of the Jewish state. The [Jewish
leadership] understood it needed to influence the reality on the ground
with actions. The operation to establish a chain of communities altered
the demographic and geographical situation and for all intents and
purposes led to the annexation [of the Negev], which immensely aided in
the defense of the southern front during the War of Independence.

"The Zionist vision will be realized not through words
and speeches but through effecting practical change. When there is a
direction and a goal, good things can happen," he concluded.

Israel Hayom StaffSource: http://www.israelhayom.com/site/newsletter_article.php?id=36629 Follow Middle East and Terrorism on TwitterCopyright - Original materials copyright (c) by the authors.